


Paint Chips and Glitter

by EarendilElwing



Series: McDanno and the Five Love Languages [6]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Cuteness, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mcdanno and the Five Love Languages, Minor Angst, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2018-11-08 03:52:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11073501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarendilElwing/pseuds/EarendilElwing
Summary: From the Tumblr prompt: "Are your nails painted?"A Williams’ Father-Daughter tradition helps Steve get a clue.





	1. Chapter 1

Steve wasn’t sure what to make of it.  He wasn’t even certain he was correct in his assumption.

When the team returned to headquarters from an early morning raid and began to put away their tactical gear, he caught a glimpse of something strange when he’d turned to address his partner – a flash of something yellow and green on his hands, revealed as he took off his gloves.  Unfortunately, during their debriefing, Danny’s hands were either in motion as he talked or stuffed into his pants pocket when he was listening, which hindered Steve from confirming his suspicions.  

Afterwards, Danny had retreated to his office and began to work on his report, even going so far as to lock the door so that he would not be disturbed unless it was absolutely necessary.  Steve had initially thought that he was just grumpy from being woken up at three a.m. for the raid, but his standoff-ish mood was less irritated and more morose, and he seemed disinclined to share the reason for it.

As such, Steve spent less time working on his own report and far more scrutinizing his partner in an attempt to confirm his initial suspicion.  He also dedicated a fair amount of thought into replaying the last few days, trying to figure out if he’d done anything to piss Danny off.  But try as he might, neither activity proved fruitful.

Danny didn’t emerge from his self-imposed isolation until well into the afternoon.  Steve had already dismissed Chin and Kono for the day.  He texted Danny to let him know he was free to leave, but the detective stated that he had other tasks to complete before he went home.  

Steve likewise stayed.

When at last Danny showed signs of readying to leave (shutting down his computer, straightening files, and locking his desk drawers), Steve hurried to follow, determined to get to the bottom of the matter.

He converged on his partner just as Danny was exiting his office, and immediately got the answer to his first question.

Steve encroached into Danny’s personal space and blocked his path.  He crossed his arms and smirked.  “Danno, are your nails painted?”

Danny scowled at him, and his face reddened ever-so-slightly.  He shoved his hands into his pockets.  “What’s it to you if they are?”  

He moved to step around Steve, but the SEAL wasn’t letting him off that easily.  “Let me see.”  Steve seized one of Danny’s wrists and tried to wrestle it free from its hiding place.

“Leave me alone, McGarrett!”  

Danny fought back as best as he could, but froze when Steve succeeded in extracting the fist from the pocket and pulled him close.  

Steve raised Danny’s fingers to his face and studied the designs on Danny’s nails.  “They look like pineapples.”  He snorted.  “You hypocrite!  How can you complain about pineapples and then turn around and let someone paint them on your nails?”

Danny yanked his hand free and examined his nails, a small smile making its way to his lips.  “Grace did these,” he explained.  “I’ve been a bit down lately, so she treated me to a daddy-daughter spa day to cheer me up.”

Steve stood dumbfounded for a second, though his confusion was not because of the knowledge that Danny would participate in spa activities with Grace.  Danny was such a softie when it came to his daughter; Steve had no trouble believing that his partner was the type of father who would have tea parties with teddy bears, wear a metal pot on his head to play knights and dragons, or let his little princess paint his nails.

No, that wasn’t a stretch of the imagination at all.  What startled him was Danny’s admission of feeling down.  In most circumstances, Danny wore his heart of his sleeve, releasing his anger or annoyance without provocation to any who would listen, or laughing and smiling wholeheartedly when he was amused.  But there were times when he seemed to withdraw into himself, divulging his thoughts only when asked, and often with much resistance.  Or he would conceal it altogether, hiding his real emotions behind his usual Jersey bluster.

“Danny?”

The detective shrugged and inclined his head towards the exit.  “It’s kind of a tradition for us,” he elaborated.  He started for the door, talking as he went and expecting Steve to follow.  “Back in Jersey, there was a period where I had a lot of really difficult cases right in a row, and on top of that, Rachel and I had just separated.  Obviously, I was feeling pretty low.  I tried not to show it around Grace, but - being the smart little girl she was - noticed that I wasn’t happy.”

They left the palace and walked towards their respective vehicles.  “One day, I took Grace over to my parents’ house for a visit.  At some point, she pulled my mother aside and asked her what kinds of things cheered _her_ up when she was sad.  Ma told her that she feels better after getting pampered at a spa.”

“I’m guessing Grace took that and decided to run with it,” Steve said, smiling now.

“Yep.  So now whenever one of us is feeling blue, we break out the nail polish.  And some other stuff, which I am not going to get into right now.”  

Danny glanced down at his nails again.  “Usually, I remove the paint before work, but I didn’t have time this morning.  Not that I’m ashamed of this or anything; Grace is an artist.  But I have a hard enough time being taken seriously as a cop on this goddamn island.”  He chose not to expand on that.

“I was wondering why there was polish remover in the glove box,” Steve mused.  He grinned at his partner.  “That’s really sweet Danny.  But, uh – do you mind telling me what’s got you down?”

Danny lifted a shoulder and avoided Steve’s gaze.  “Don’t worry about it; it’s nothing.”

They halted between Danny’s Camaro and Steve’s Silverado.  “Anyway, are we still on for surfing on Saturday?  Grace is getting impatient for her next lesson.”

Steve didn’t buy into Danny’s deflection, but he let it go for now.  “Of course.”

“Good.  Well, see ya tomorrow.”  Danny waved, got into his vehicle and took off, leaving Steve to ponder what was going on with him.


	2. Chapter 2

“Uncle Steve!”

The SEAL turned from his task of unfolding a beach blanket and knelt just in time to catch the whirlwind of energy that was Grace Williams in a hug.  Her father approached at a more sedate pace, a travel mug of coffee in his hand and a basket containing snacks, towels and sunscreen dangling from his arm.  He gave Steve a tired smile.

“It’s good to see you, Gracie!” Steve said.  He pulled back.  “I like your new swimsuit.”

The ten-year old giggled and did a little twirl, proudly showing off the green, two-piece tank-and-skirt combo.  “Thanks; Mommy bought it for me.”  She raised a hand to the side of her mouth and leaned in to whisper, “Danno doesn’t like it.”

“That’s not true, monkey,” Danny objected.  “I think it’s beautiful, and you look absolutely stunning.”  He glowered at a group of pre-teen boys further down the beach, who may or may not have glanced in their direction.

Steve shared an eye roll with Grace at Danny’s overprotective tendencies.

“The Wonder Twins here yet?” Danny asked.

“I’m sure they’ll be along any minute.”  Steve stood up again.  “Will you help me finish setting up our space, Gracie?”

“Sure thing, Uncle Steve.”

While he and Grace resumed his meticulous arrangement of the blanket, a cooler and other beach necessities, Danny set down their basket and left to retrieve their surfboards and Grace’s life vest (she was an excellent swimmer, but Danny always brought it along in the event that he judged the water too turbulent for her to surf without it).  When he returned, he was accompanied by Chin, Kono and Adam.

“There’s my star pupil!” Kono exclaimed.

“Hi, Auntie Kono!”  Grace waited for the cousins to set their things down and then hugged them.  She was still getting used to Adam, so he settled for a fist bump.

The three of them likewise complemented Grace’s attire, but Kono also noticed something else.  “Hey Grace, did you get your nails done?  Can I see?”

Steve glanced over as the little girl held up her hands and spread the digits to show off their pink, orange and yellow hues.  Her fingernails were painted to resemble a Hawaiian sunset, complete with a black silhouette of a palm tree on each tip.  Her toenails were all pink, but a tiny character had been drawn in glitter paint on each nail to spell out a message.  When Steve shifted his view to peer over Grace’s shoulder, he saw the letters “D-A-N-N-O” on the nails of her left foot, a heart on her right big toe, and then “Y-O-U-!”

“That’s a really cute mani-pedi.  Where did you get it done?” Kono inquired.

Grace moved to Danny’s side and hugged him around the waist.  “Danno did them.  And I did his.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to him.  He had removed the pineapple designs on his hands a couple of days ago, leaving behind a few small chips and streaks of orange, but his toenails were bright green with a similar sparkly message written on them - Grace proclaiming her love in return.

Chin and Adam wore identical expressions of amusement.  

Danny puffed out his chest and glared at them.  “What?  You never seen a guy wear nail polish before?”

“It’s not that,” Adam said.  “It’s just - I wouldn’t have guessed that nail art was one of your secret talents.”

The detective shrugged and dropped an arm around Grace.  “It’s an essential skill to have when you’re a single dad to the best daughter in the world.”

“Well I think it’s sweet,” said Kono.  “And I gotta admit - you do good work.”  She grinned.  “I think I’ll give you a call the next time I need a manicure for a special event.”

Whatever sarcastic reply Danny was formulating was curtailed by Grace.  “Can we go surfing now, Auntie Kono?” she pleaded.

“Of course - just as soon as you’re dad says it’s okay.”

Grace took Danny’s hand and pulled on his arm.  “Come on, Danno!  Let’s go!”

He chuckled and bent to kiss her forehead.  “You go ahead.  I’ll be out as soon as I finish my coffee.  ‘Kay monkey?”

“You promise?”

“Yes, I promise.”

Grace sighed.  “Okay.”  She redirected her pleading puppy eyes towards her favorite uncle.  “Will you come with me, Uncle Steve?”

“Of course, Gracie.  Race you?”

Steve and Kono accompanied her to the ocean’s edge while Danny, Chin and Adam took their time, standing ankle-deep in the water and chatting about their respective mornings.

Grace was good at getting up on the board, but _staying_ up was still a challenge for her.  Steve led her through some stretches, and Kono offered further demonstration on the best way to move and position her body once she transitioned to standing.  The three of them practiced on solid ground  for about twenty minutes, and then repeated the exercises in shallow waters.

Not long after Kono declared that Grace was ready to head out, the others joined them.

The Five-0 team took turns instructing and watching over their little girl, offering personal pointers and assisting her recovery any time she fell off her board.  It was a bit of a rocky start, but soon enough, she began to hold her own, able to ride most waves to their completion.  Everyone spread out across the water, giving one another ample space to avoid collisions, but one of the adults was always within close swimming distance.

At intervals, one or two of them would exit the water to hydrate, stretch or lay out in the sun, but around noon, they all took a break to eat lunch together.

Afterwards, Grace was eager to get back in the water to cool off, but Danny was adamant that she wait at least thirty minutes before she returned to swimming or surfing.  Steve argued that she’d be fine; the whole “wait thirty minutes to an hour after eating” thing was a myth after all, but Danny refused to give in.  He did, however, consent to let Steve paddle her around on his board.

She sat cross-legged on the middle of Steve’s surfboard and let her hands trail in the water on either side of her.  Steve stood behind her, shifting his stance on occasion to keep them balanced, and propelled them through the water with long, gliding strokes from an oar.  Along the way, Grace regaled him with updates on everything that had happened since she’d last seen him.  She talked about her increasingly demanding classes at school, the progress she’d made on perfecting her backspin in tennis, and her frustration with her mother and Step-Stan for spending so much time doting over little Charlie (who was apparently sick a lot).

Steve listened with more attentiveness than he sometimes granted her father.  He sympathized with her plight over how challenging algebra could be and promised that he would come watch her next tennis match.  He also assured her that Rachel and Stan didn’t love her any less even though they had a child together now, and was quick to point out that she still had Danno - who loved her more than anyone else in the world - all to herself.

“I guess so,” she sighed.  “But Danno’s been sad a lot.  We’ve had ‘spa days’ the last three times I stayed over.  It’s fun, and Daddy’s really good at doing my hair and nails, but I don’t like it when he’s upset.”

“Me neither, sweetie,” said Steve, frowning at this confirmation of Danny’s low state.  “Gracie, did he tell you _why_ he’s feeling sad?”

She shook her head, her damp pigtails whipping back and forth.  “Not really.  I asked, but he said it was  a secret.”

“Hmm…”  Steve was growing more curious, and more than a little worried.  Danny believed in being honest with his child about most things, save for those few kernels of knowledge that would cause more harm than good (or danger) in sharing them.  If he was unwilling to talk to her about it, even after being asked directly, then it had to be something fairly significant.  

“I think it’s something to do with you, Uncle Steve,” Grace speculated aloud.

Steve paused in his rowing.  “What makes you say that?”

She considered in silence for a moment.  Then, carefully so as not to tip them, she scooted around to face him.  Her features were scrunched up as she chewed on her bottom lip.  Most of the time, she resembled her mother, but Steve could see the Danny in her quite clearly whenever she was deep in thought and trying to puzzle out a problem.

“Because we’ve done spa days on the weekends when we don’t visit _you_ ,” she said.  “I think he misses you.”

“He sees me every day at work,” Steve reminded her.  “And you know that both of you are welcome at my house whenever you want.”

“Not always,” Grace countered.  “When I told him I wanted to go swimming with you, he said you had company.”

“I did?”  

Steve tried to recall the specific weeks and weekends he’d known that Danny had Grace, and if he’d had someone else over at the time.  But as far as he could remember, he’d only hung out with different members of the team on and off, and not in any capacity that would suggest that his partner couldn’t join them.  He’d had the odd blind date here and there; some of his acquaintances and HPD colleagues had offered introductions to their single friends, but he hadn’t clicked with anyone since he and Catherine went their separate ways.  Other than that, he couldn’t think of a reason for Danny to assume he was busy or unwanted.

He glanced down and realized that Grace was waiting for some sort of further explanation.  

There was an accusatory glare in her eyes, which surprised him a little.  Danny admitted to commiserating with her regarding Steve’s crazy, Neanderthal ways, but he didn’t badmouth Steve in any way that might taint his daughter’s love and admiration for her “uncle”.  That meant that Grace had come to her own conclusions about Steve being the cause of - or at least having a hand in - whatever it was that was ailing Danny.

She might love Steve like family, but _no one_ harmed her Danno without facing the consequences.  

“I don’t know what to tell you, Gracie,” Steve confessed.  “But I promise I’ll talk to him and figure out what’s going on.  Okay?”

She blinked up at him for a few beats before giving him a nod and a bright smile.  “Alright.  Thanks, Uncle Steve.”

“No problem, kiddo.  I think it’s been about forty minutes now.  You ready to surf again?”

“Yeah!”

Steve steered them back towards the shore.  Kono waved as they approached, calling for Grace to join her, but Steve’s eyes were fixed on his best friend, his thoughts more confused than ever.


End file.
